1. Field
A separator for a rechargeable lithium battery and a rechargeable lithium battery including the same are disclosed.
2. Description of the Related Art
A rechargeable lithium battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a separator interposed between the positive and negative electrodes. The separator includes micropores, and thus, the separator including the micropores plays a role of electrically insulating the positive and negative electrodes from one another as well as providing a passage for movement of lithium ions. In addition, the separator shuts down the battery when the battery temperature exceeds a set or predetermined temperature, and thus, plays a role of preventing the battery from being overheated (or plays a role of reducing a likelihood or amount of such overheating).
The separator should be thinner and lighter as a high power/large capacity battery has recently been used for an electric vehicle and the like, and concurrently, the separator should have excellent thermal shape stability to produce a high-capacity battery.
For this purpose, a separator obtained by coating a binder resin and a ceramic particle on a porous substrate has been used. However, the separator is contracted when the battery is overheated, and thus, may hardly secure the thermal stability.